Namaste
I just saw a few threads about Bramh' and mAyA and thought of writing this.
Always start with the ordinary understanding of the word.
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Just the need to sort out our attachments, dependencies and narrow outlooks or selfish traits (tied to the individual body) from the real pure Bramh AtmA , as that is being in MAyA's blnket, and this is outgrowing the blanket.
That is all.
I just saw a few threads about Bramh' and mAyA and thought of writing this.
- First, going by the root or stem of the word, mAyA and mamtA are 2 words that go hand in hand.
Always start with the ordinary understanding of the word.
- In my native language, mAyA is a mother's love for her children. That is an overlap with mamtA
- Saying the MAyA is the Divine Mother or Mother (Devi, Goddess) is MAyA are actually metaphors.
- The real thing is that mAyA is what the mother does or shares. It is her pampering protective blanket on the children, which makes sure the children are comfortable, in their comfort zone and can sustain themselves that way.
- If you are petting your cat or dog, you are showering them with mAyA, believe it or not!
- So what about VishNu-mAyA ? VishNu being a role played by Bramh to nurture (grAsishNu & prabhavishNu being the other 2 : BG 13), It is VishNu's mAyA for those kids that need it. That makes VishNu the Mom. Now you may say , but VishNu is Dad.
- I think He is more Mom than Dad, because VishNu IS Lakshmi, but He is simultaneously Hari that takes away the blockers on your path (thank "God" He is Hari!)
- Then some folks ask "Why does He do this to "us" "? Well, do you expect VishNu to abandon you in the snowy Himalayas. without food clothing shelter? If you are climbing a 700 step way on a mountain to take Darshan of a Deity there, and after 250 steps you cannot go further, you are cold hungry and tired, and pray to that same Deity - they come to meet you on the 250th step and say - "Don't worry my child, you don't have to climb so many steps. I am everywhere."
- What is all this? It is Bramh's MAyA!
- Same as what you did with your child. You don't want the child to go thru' hardships so you make things easier for them but simultaneously teach them good principles of hard work and ethical living.
- Now you are in the way of your child's spiritual progress if you want to make the road easy and comfortable for them.
- To make things worse, you cover up their mistakes and keep forgiving them, allow them to slack a little bit. Some parents pull the reigns on a motivated child's austerity by talking them out of it "Oh you don't have to do all this"
- You are MAyA, the boulder on their path!
- So how can we blame DurgA, Lakshmi-Narayan, Shiv-Parvati? . They are fulfilling our wishes and needs. Therefore it is said "Be careful what you wish for."
- The Rushis and spiritual aspirants analyzed Bramh's MAyA and concluded that is is an obstacle to Self-Realization and responsible for the 6 vices in humans + 1 avidyA = 7
- MAyA does not make us the brat. We want to be the brat.
- This is how the metaphor Mother Nature is MAyA came into being , but actually, nature is the RESULT of MAyA of Bramh (VishNu-mAyeti shabditA)
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- So the spiritual aspirant grows up from their brat-mode into a mature disciple-mode. That is when the veil of MAyA is gradually and gently taken away little by little. How would you feel if your mother came and yanked away your quilt or blanket , pulled the mattress from your sleeping self in the cold winter? At mid-night or 3 am and did not let you sleep? So this is why MAyA the blanket is not yanked away abruptly as we cannot handlethat.
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- Now arises a need to explain the mahAvAkya "AhaM BramhAsmI" "I am Bramh'" How absurd is that? How can a tiny insignificant existance in a corner of the universe be Bramh?
- Because Bramh is the seed that expanded and went thru' so many iterations to become "a being"
Just the need to sort out our attachments, dependencies and narrow outlooks or selfish traits (tied to the individual body) from the real pure Bramh AtmA , as that is being in MAyA's blnket, and this is outgrowing the blanket.
That is all.
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